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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN
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Excerpt from Press Release.
The written statement was not available in a scannable language at the
time of presentation in the conference.
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K.Y. AMOAKO, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA): Investing in woman is central to development in Africa. Governments
can direct resources away from military expenditures to social needs, so that
Africa's women will not have to walk miles carrying water on their heads.
Equal opportunities can be provided, so a woman can have equal access to
credit and inherit, and be free to dispose of, land. But Governments cannot
do it alone. Coordination with the international community and non-
governmental organizations is necessary.
Africa is in crisis. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has
admitted that the spending on water supply and sanitation has been one fifth
of the need to provide the bulk of the population with proper access. There
is chronic food insecurity, because production cannot keep up with population
growth. Soil erosion and deforestation are grim words because of the lack of
remedial action. However, there is an emerging consensus that, while Africa
needs support, Africans must take fundamental responsibility for bringing
about positive change.
Africa's external debt continues to be a major obstacle to development.
There must be debt reduction or debt forgiveness. This will free resources
for programmes essential for achieving gender equality and the economic
empowerment of women. Reducing gender disparities in Africa is not only a
matter of allocating resources. The attitudes and actions of men must also
change. We are therefore also talking about equalizing men's
responsibilities, not only increasing women's access to opportunities.